American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church

Alex Beam

Apr 2014 · Sold by PublicAffairs

About this ebook

On June 27, 1844, a mob stormed the jail in the dusty frontier town of Carthage, Illinois. Clamorous and angry, they were hunting down a man they saw as a grave threat to their otherwise quiet lives: the founding prophet of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. They wanted blood.

At thirty-nine years old, Smith had already lived an outsized life. In addition to starting his own religion and creating his own "Golden Bible" -- the Book of Mormon -- he had worked as a water-dowser and treasure hunter. He'd led his people to Ohio, then Missouri, then Illinois, where he founded a city larger than fledgling Chicago. He was running for president. And, secretly, he had married more than thirty women.

In American Crucifixion, Alex Beam tells how Smith went from charismatic leader to public enemy: How his most seismic revelation -- the doctrine of polygamy -- created a rift among his people; how that schism turned to violence; and how, ultimately, Smith could not escape the consequences of his ambition and pride.

Mormonism is America's largest and most enduring native religion, and the "martyrdom" of Joseph Smith is one of its transformational events. Smith's brutal assassination propelled the Mormons to colonize the American West and claim their place in the mainstream of American history. American Crucifixion is a gripping story of scandal and violence, with deep roots in our national identity.

Ratings and reviews

This is neither the hagiography that Mormons learn in Sunday School nor the polemic of an anti-Mormon; it is a well-written journalistic description of the complicated life and times of Joseph Smith Jr. It covers the political, including the concentration of power in the Mayor (Joseph) under the Nauvoo Charter (so much for separation of powers) to Joseph’s quixotic presidential campaign. It covers Joseph’s paranoid overreactions to criticism, including most notably the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor based on “public nuisance” for its single edition criticisms. (Personal note, I am descended from one of the people Joseph dispatched to burn the type). And polygamy, oh polygamy. Beam’s treatment of the obfuscations, lies, dynastic marriages (Eliza Snow and others being sealed to both Joseph and Brigham Young), and overall creepiness of it is lucid and well documented. The book also put the broader history in context, such as Joseph’s interactions with Stephen Douglas (of Lincoln-Douglas fame) and other frontier figures. The discussion of the aftermath, including the trial of Smith’s killers and Mormon migration, are excellent.

About the author

Alex Beam is a columnist for the Boston Globe and for the International Herald Tribune. He is the author of two works of nonfiction, Gracefully Insane and A Great Idea at the Time, both New York Times Notable Books. He has also written for the Atlantic Monthly, Slate, and Forbes/FYI. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife and three sons.